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Jays send Carlson, 2 others to minors

The Blue Jays trimmed their roster by three this afternoon, sending outfielder Jeremy Reed and pitchers David Purcey and Jesse Carlson to triple-A Las Vegas.

Those cuts bring Toronto’s active roster to 29 players, and help solve the question of who will become the club’s spare outfielder.

Reed, a second-round pick in the 2002 draft, entered spring training competing for the job with journeyman Joey Gathright and career minor leaguer Mike McCoy.

Gathright flashed his trademark speed, making a few spectacular catches and sprinting out the occasional bunt base hit, but batted just .167 in 42 spring at-bats. On Sunday the team released him out right, leaving Reed and McCoy to jockey for the fourth outfield spot.

Reed is batting .431 with 10 RBI so far this spring, but couldn’t beat out the versatile McCoy, who can play the outfield and either middle infield spot.

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Carlson has been one of the club’s most reliable relievers, appearing in 142 games over the last two seasons. In 2009 he compiled a 1-6 record over 73 games and 67 2/3 innings, but a nagging knee injury limited him to just two innings this spring.

Purcey, meanwhile, broke camp with the Jays last spring but watched his ERA rise steadily through April, and by May was pitching in Las Vegas. He returned to the Jays for the final month of the season, collecting a win and a loss among his four September starts.

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